Boxing: How Ricky Hatton got fit | Sport | The Guardian Close Week 1 (Sept 17-23) The nutritionist Kerry Kayes begins working with Ricky Hatton during a five-city promotional tour for the fight, the priority being to shed the weight put on between fights. "Ricky was 35 to 40lb over his fighting weight [147lb]; we were in the gym at 6am every other day shedding that load," said Kayes. This was done by a light jog of five miles on the treadmill and lifting weights. Kayes, a former bodybuilding champion, also provides him with controlled supplements. "They give Ricky the nutrients he needs to train, not feel hungry and, most important, not put on weight," Kayes said. "The supplements Ricky was taking contained 42 grammes of protein in 270 calories. If you tried to get 42 grammes of protein from a regular meal, such as aeroplane and hotel food, it would be 1,000 calories and that is no good, we needed to shift weight off Ricky." Hatton returns from the tour 10lb lighter.

Week 2 (Sept 24-30) Hatton starts work with Billy "The Preacher" Graham at his Betta Bodies gym in Denton, Manchester. From this point, Hatton is in the gym five days a week. The first week is spent working with the bar-bag. Hatton has to leap over a metal bar, approximately 3ft high, and hit a punch bag on the other side. "We start with six repetitions at a time and then build up to 15," Graham said. "It's about working on Ricky's reactions and punching while also developing his fitness, which is still important at this stage." Kayes maintained a key role. "Ricky can eat anything he wants as long as it's clean: rice, potatoes, white meat, vegetables," he explained. Because he has moved up to welterweight for this fight, supplements play a more significant part than usual. "We have an extra 7lb to play with and I want to turn that into as much muscle as possible," said Kayes. "I've been giving him Creatine E2.

It drives straight into the muscle and gives the athlete more energy and power." Week 3 (Oct 1-7) Hatton gets into the ring and starts "light-touch work" with Graham, sparring at a slow pace with the emphasis on finding his range. "Floyd Mayweather is a defensive genius, even pinning him up against the ropes is no guarantee of success," said Graham. "But Ricky is a master at opening up fighters and we've spent a lot of time working on that, getting through a defence and doing some serious damage in tight corners." Weeks 4-10 (Oct 8-Nov 25) The most important aspect of Hatton's training regime is introduced - the body-belt, a heavy, rounded, padded sack which Graham straps on and Hatton punches, designed to hone his fighting qualities: body-punching and sheer relentlessness. "Ricky has to chase me around the ring and go as hard as possible, it's what he enjoys doing the most," Graham said. They work with the body-belt five days a week and increase the rounds steadily from four to six to eight to 10 to 12.

"Me and Ricky have been going through this same routine for years, ever since he had his junior belts. We know exactly what we need to do and how to do it." Hatton is also running at weekends, although Graham puts no emphasis on him doing so. Indeed, the 50-year-old would rather Hatton rest on his days off and stresses recovery and relaxation during preparation. "Sleep is massively important. I allow Ricky to sleep for as long as his body needs to, that is why our daily session starts at 12.30pm," Graham said. "There are some coaches who get their fighters up at the crack of dawn and make them eat raw eggs. In my opinion, that is a load of old-school bollocks. Where is the good in having a fighter sparring in the dark when he is tired? It's pointless." Weeks 11-12 (Nov 26-Dec 8) "All we need is a ring, a body-belt and some sparring partners," said Graham of their gym in Las Vegas. Hatton's younger brother Matthew, a professional fighter himself, is used as a sparring partner. A week before the fight, Graham increases the body-bag rounds to 15.

Away from the gym he will pore over DVDs of Mayweather's fights. "I'll make sure I know Floyd inside out, I'll make sure I know Floyd better than he knows himself," Graham said. Kayes makes sure Hatton is eating well, taking his supplements and is in no danger of failing the weigh-in, his greatest fear. "Once the weigh-in is done, he can relax and have a right good fill - the food still has to be clean, though." The Ricky Hatton - A Life Story DVD is on sale now Matthew Hatton - BoxRec Matthew Hatton Birth Name: Matthew James Hatton Born: 1981-05-15 Birthplace: Stockport, Cheshire, United Kingdom Hometown: Manchester, Lancashire, United Kingdom Stance: Orthodox Matthew Hatton Gallery Professional Career Matthew began his professional career on September 23, 2000 with a points win over David White who too was making his debut. He was victorious in his first thirteen bouts winning six by technical knockout and on May 6, 2004 defeated Rob Burton (9-6-2) by points to claim the BBBofC Central Area Welterweight Title.

Six months later he would again defeat Burton to win the BBBofC Central Area Light Middleweight Title. In 2007, Hatton claimed the vacant IBF International Welterweight Title with a win over Frank Houghtaling (19-12-5) and also defeated Edwin Vazquez (22-9-2) that same year for the IBF Intercontinental Welterweight Title. His most notable loss came in March of 2011 via a unanimous decision to Saul Alvarez (35-0-1) for the vacant WBC light middleweight title. In what is thought to be his best career victory thus far, Hatton scored a unanimous decision victory over the aging former World Title Condender Ben Tackie (29-10-1). Of note, however, Tackie came into the bout having lost his four previous fights and was defeated six years earlier by Matthew's elder brother, Ricky Hatton .

Tiles Held BBBofC Central Area Welterweight Title (2004) BBBofC Central Area Light Middleweight Title (2004) IBF International Welterweight Title (2007) IBF Intercontinental Welterweight Title (2007) EBU (European) Welterweight Title (2010) IBF International Welterweight Title (2011) Other Factoids Matthew is the younger brother of World Champion Ricky Hatton and has on several occasions fought on the undercard of the elder Hatton's bouts. Hatton: I'm a massive football fan - FIFA.com Hatton: I'm a massive football fan (FIFA.com) 16 Nov 2012 © Getty Images Ricky Hatton is one of the greatest British boxers in history. He was a two-division world champion and retired with a magnificent record of 45 wins and just two losses, to all-time pound-for-pound greats Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. If Hatton had had his way, however, he would have earned fortune and fame with his feet rather than his fists.

His father and grandfather were both footballers, and Ricky, a skilful midfielder, was on the books of his beloved City as a teenager. Hatton was ultimately released by the club, but his love for them and football has remained as strong as ever. As the 34-year-old readies for his return to the ring for the first time in three years later this month, when he will battle Ukrainian standout Vyacheslav Senchenko in Manchester, he took time off from training to speak to FIFA.com about coming from a footballing family, being on the City terraces as a youngster, the team’s recent success, having Wayne Rooney carry his belt out, and who he thinks should win the FIFA Ballon d’Or. FIFA.com: Ricky, you come from quite a footballing family. Please tell us about that… Ricky Hatton: My granddad played for the City B team and my dad was a regular in the reserves when they had the championship-winning team, with Malcolm Allison, Joe Mercer, Franny Lee, Mike Summerbee and all the old City legends. And as a 15-year-old I was at Man City’s school of excellence.

We’re mainly a football family, we’re not quite sure where the boxing came from [Ricky's younger brother Matthew is also a boxer]. My dad thought I was going to follow in the family footsteps and become a footballer. I was actually in the same class in the school of excellence as the Whitley brothers [Jim and Jeff], who went on to play for the first team which was really good to see. When I was Richard Hatton, before anyone even knew Ricky Hatton, I always came out to Blue Moon and had the City colours and the badge on my shorts. My first season ticket was as a 14-year-old on The Kippax at Maine Road. I’ve not just jumped on the footballer bandwagon to get my numbers up. Ricky Hatton You’ve had Wayne Rooney in your dressing room before fights and carrying your belt out to them. What lift has that given you? Someone like Wayne Rooney doesn’t need the publicity, just like I guess I don’t need the publicity having become a world champion. But having a fellow sportsman, who is at the top of his game, wanting to carry my belt in gives me a massive boost.

I’ve had several people carrying my belt in – loved ones and little James Bowes, the poorly little lad – and a lot of people say Wayne’s only carrying it for publicity. It’s not, it’s [for] motivation. That someone at the height of his game respects me in the manner that he does, it gives you a huge boost. And me asking him to carry my belt in, I was obviously doing it because of the respect I have for Wayne as a footballer, so it’s a double-edged sword. In 2008, you walked out to Blue Moon, Manchester City’s theme song, to fight Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester Stadium. That must have been a dream for you… I think some people go down the football route in order to build their fan base, but it wasn’t the case with me. From my early professional days, when I was Richard Hatton, before anyone even knew Ricky Hatton, I always came out to Blue Moon and had the City colours and the badge on my shorts. My first season ticket was as a 14-year-old on The Kippax at Maine Road. I’ve not just jumped on the footballer bandwagon to get my numbers up.

What you see is what you get. I still have my season ticket at Manchester City. It’s not just a publicity stunt. I am a massive football fan. I am a massive Manchester City fan. I wanted to box at Maine Road [City’s former home] years ago, and the fact that I was able to achieve so much in my career and ultimately box at Manchester City’s stadium, it was just a dream come true. When I go and watch City now, there’s 45,000, 48,000 there. When I boxed there, there was 58,000 – talk about the stuff dreams are made of! I see the City players from time to time. They actually know me as that little 14-year-old who had the season ticket at The Kippax! (laughs) Knowing the players, being able to have a chat with them, and the way I’m treated in and around the club when I’m there, it’s living-the-dream stuff. Who were your heroes from your time at The Kippax?

We had a lot of good players at the time – Niall Quinn, Uwe Rosler, Peter Beagrie, Peter Walsh – but it would have to be Georgi Kinkladze. Every time he got the ball – well, you didn’t go to the edge of your seat because it was all standing at The Kippax – but you felt something was going to happen. He was a massively exciting player. Nicky Summerbee, who’s been a pal of mine for a number of years now, he was in the team at the time and he was friends with a boxer called Steve ‘The Viking’ Foster, who I used to train with as a youngster. [Summerbee] brought Kinkladze to the gym one time to watch us train. Granted, I was only a nipper, he wasn’t watching me train – he was watching Carl Thompson, who fought Chris Eubank around the time. But to see your idol walk in the gym, it was a dream come true. Colin Bell and people like that are regarded as City’s best-ever players, but the best player I ever saw live was Kinkladze, and one minute he walked into our gym!

After many years of suffering for City fans, you must be delighted to be champions of England and playing in the UEFA Champions League… It’s brilliant. I couldn’t be happier for the club and the fans. We’ve had one of the best supports in British football for years now – always packed houses, even packed houses when we went down to the second division. And that’s while we’ve had to endure the disappointments with the enemy down the road winning everything. Having your neighbours become the most successful British club of all time wasn’t pleasant for us, so you have to say that we’ve earned our stripes as supporters. I’d like to think City will do it, but I think it’s between those three. I think City, United and Chelsea will be the top three, but it could be in any order. Hatton's prediction for the 2012/13 Premier League What’s your prediction for City this season? It can’t be any closer than it was last season, [settled by the] last kick of the game. I think Chelsea will be up there, United will be up there and City will be up there.

My heart will be with City, but if you had to put a bet on now you’d just toss a coin. I think it’s going to be so, so close. Goal difference won the league last season, so even at this early stage, every point is so massive. I’d like to think City will do it, but I think it’s between those three. I think City, United and Chelsea will be the top three, but it could be in any order. Who do you think will win the FIFA Ballon d’Or for 2012? I think the best two players in the world are obviously [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo, as much as I don’t like to admit Ronaldo is a great player. The only reason I don’t like Ronaldo is because he played for the enemy, but ultimately he’s one hell of a footballer. Those two will be up there again. Maybe Ronaldo this year, he seems to have started the season a bit better than Messi. Would you have Ronaldo at City? Without a doubt. City have got the type of money that could bring players like that to the club.

They’re the best players in the world and they want to be winning the best trophies, such as the Champions League. City have still got a little way to go before we can start thinking about signing players like that, but we’re in the Champions League and won the Premiership. To be mentioned in the same breath as players like that, it’s not as daft as it would have sounded a couple of years ago. Sign in with Facebook Matthew Hatton | International Boxing Organization | ZoomInfo.com International Boxing Organization + Get 10 Free Contacts a Month Please agree to the terms and conditions I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . I understand that I will receive a subscription to ZoomInfo Grow at no charge in exchange for downloading and installing the ZoomInfo Contact Contributor utility which, among other features, involves sharing my business contacts as well as headers and signature blocks from emails that I receive.

Find other employees at this company (63) Background Information Web References (7 Total References) Hatton v Nâ€™Dou is on contrary to internet rumours [cached] Matthew Hatton's challenge for the IBO welterweight title against Lovemore N'Dou has not been postponed or cancelled and will go ahead as planned on November 13 in Stoke on Trent. Rumours have circulated online recently that N'Dou has pulled out because of a cut sustained in training, but Hatton Promotions have issued a statement to quell any uncertainty and clarify the fight will go ahead. N'Dou did indeed receive a cut in training, but a medical examination has ruled that it will not prevent him from fighting. Hatton expressed his frustration at the rumours: "I have been training hard for this fight so I was disappointed when I heard rumours that Lovemore may be pulling out. Hatton v Nâ€™Dou is on contrary to internet rumours iboboxing.com [cached] Matthew Hatton's challenge for the IBO welterweight title against Lovemore N'Dou has not been postponed or cancelled and will go ahead as planned on November 13 in Stoke on Trent.

Rumours have circulated online recently that N'Dou has pulled out because of a cut sustained in training, but Hatton Promotions have issued a statement to quell any uncertainty and clarify the fight will go ahead. N'Dou did indeed receive a cut in training, but a medical examination has ruled that it will not prevent him from fighting. Hatton expressed his frustration at the rumours: "I have been training hard for this fight so I was disappointed when I heard rumours that Lovemore may be pulling out. Matthew Hatton vs. Nâ€™Dou on November 13th Matthew Hatton vs. N'Dou on November 13th ... Welterweight project Matthew Hatton (37-4-1, 14 KO's) will be fighting Lovemore N'Dou (47-11-1, 31 KO's) for the welterweight International Boxing Organization title on November 13th, in Manchester, England. Hatton, 28, the younger brother of Ricky Hatton, is reportedly in the process of signing for a fight with the 38-year-old N'Dou this week. ...

Matthew Hatton has won his last four fights since being soundly defeated by Craig Watson in May 2008. ... Hatton has looked much improved in beating Scott Woolford, Ben Tackie, Ted Bami and Ernesto Zepeda, all good B class fighters. ... Hatton doesn't have much power and is more of a boxer. Hatton should be able to win this fight if he can avoid getting involved with heavy exchanges with N'Dou. Hatton isn't nearly as powerful as the South African and can ill afford to get caught up into a war with him. N'Dou may be getting up there in age, but he can very tough if he has the right type of opponent in front of him. Hatton has been handled very carefully since his loss to Watson and has been put in with mostly lesser or older fighters that don't present much of a threat for him. ... However, N'Dou still has some life left in him and Hatton will have to be wary of getting hit by him because he still packs quite a wallop, even at 38. Without a lot of power and hand speed, it's unclear whether Hatton will ever be a 1st tier welterweight.

He's Matthew Hatton vs. N'Dou on November 13th ... Welterweight project Matthew Hatton (37-4-1, 14 KO's) will be fighting Lovemore N'Dou (47-11-1, 31 KO's) for the welterweight International Boxing Organization title on November 13th, in Manchester, England. Hatton, 28, the younger brother of Ricky Hatton, is reportedly in the process of signing for a fight with the 38-year-old N'Dou this week. ... Matthew Hatton has won his last four fights since being soundly defeated by Craig Watson in May 2008. ... Hatton has looked much improved in beating Scott Woolford, Ben Tackie, Ted Bami and Ernesto Zepeda, all good B class fighters. ... Hatton doesn't have much power and is more of a boxer. Hatton should be able to win this fight if he can avoid getting involved with heavy exchanges with N'Dou. Hatton isn't nearly as powerful as the South African and can ill afford to get caught up into a war with him.

N'Dou may be getting up there in age, but he can very tough if he has the right type of opponent in front of him. Hatton has been handled very carefully since his loss to Watson and has been put in with mostly lesser or older fighters that don't present much of a threat for him. ... However, N'Dou still has some life left in him and Hatton will have to be wary of getting hit by him because he still packs quite a wallop, even at 38. Without a lot of power and hand speed, it's unclear whether Hatton will ever be a 1st tier welterweight. He's World champion boxer Ricky Hutton before his biggest night of the year | Sport | The Guardian Share on Messenger Close They're very nice, the Hattons of Hyde. If a television scriptwriter were looking for a family on which to model a modern-day British version of The Waltons, he could do worse than fetch up at the bottom of Queen's Drive, a neat little cul-de-sac in the hills on the eastern outskirts of Manchester, and pop in to see Mr and Mrs Hatton and their two sons, Richard and Matthew.

There, in a tidy and comfortable modern house, with gleaming new cars in the drive and on the street, he would find the very picture of family contentment. In charge of the house is Ray, who has three carpet shops and used to play football for Manchester City, like his father did before the war. Ray, who ran three pubs on the council estates of nearby Hattersley before moving to Hyde 10 years ago, is a compact, quietly spoken man with a good crop of well-combed hair and a firm handshake. You'd imagine he can argue his corner. If our scriptwriter had visited in the early part of September, he wouldn't have been able to see Ray's wife, Carol; she was upstairs in her bedroom nursing a cold and wasn't taking visitors. She has her own business, selling carpets around the nearby villages, and would not be going back to work until she was better. Neither was she going to risk giving the cold to Richard or Matthew. In their line of work, it could set them back months. Richard had trials with City, whom he adores, but chose a more dangerous way to get rich. So did Matthew - who is a United fan. Cue the family row.

Richard had already had the cold and was still hacking and sniffling. Matthew had been away in Birmingham for a few days, so he had missed it anyway. So, tucked away upstairs, every now and then Carol would call down to Ray on her mobile and ask: 'Could you bring me up a couple of Penguins?' Downstairs in the lounge Richard and Matthew, 24 and 20 respectively, are watching The Weakest Link. 'I put in to go on there once,' said Matthew. 'Reckon I would have done all right.' Richard, sunk deeply into a pink leather sofa, looked across the room at his younger brother and almost smiled. Ray was in the kitchen out the back, preparing the boys' tea. He brought in two heaped servings of chicken and pasta and they ate, washing the food down with energy drinks, without breaking their gaze on Anne Robinson. 'They don't like her in the States, do they?' said Richard, who goes there on business occasionally. A few hours later, about 9pm, Richard and Matthew slip into tracksuits and head for the door. 'Your turn to start tonight,' said Matthew. That meant Richard would get home first from their half-hour run.

There was a good reason for that. Our witness would have watched these two supremely fit young men disappear into the night and start pounding the generally well behaved streets of Hyde, up and along the motorway, down the central reservation, and back again, a route they had travelled thousands of times. He would have seen them arrive home sated, with the glow of health known to few. Richard, home first, went straight upstairs and got into the bath. When Matthew got home, he glanced at his watch, knowing Richard had finished washing the excess salts from his sweating skin and he could dive straight in to a fresh tub to do the same himself. It was details like this that hinted at their profession. Carol was asleep upstairs, Ray watched a bit of television, and shortly after, Richard and Matthew would both get an early night. They had some hard work to do in the morning. 'Step to the left, back, dip and bring the right up through the middle. Step to the left, dip....' Ricky Hatton , professional boxer, is going through the metronomic drill with a fellow fighter at their gym not far from the family home.

He's been going here for years, doing the same moves, perfecting each small shift of weight, putting hands, feet, head and heart into a tight synchronicity. This is his shield, a shield against disaster. Ricky fights at 10 stone, light-welterweight. He holds the World Boxing Union version of the title and has never been beaten as a professional. He lost only a handful of his amateur fights. Without wanting to pry, I suggest he has made a decent living. 'Oh, yeah, very much so,' he says in the accent peculiar to that part of east Manchester. It has a disarmingly gentle lilt to it and you have to remind yourself you are talking to someone who is paid to inflict serious pain. So good is Hatton at his job that he is maybe a couple of fights away from boxing the acknowledged best 10-stone fighter in the world, the Russian-Australian Kosta Tszyu. He knows it won't happen in the next 12 months, because Tszyu has contracted commitments, but he'd like to catch him 'on the slide' the following year.

Victory, or even a stirring challenge, in front of his home crowd at Manchester City's new stadium would bring Ricky's career to a fitting high-point. First, though, there is Stephen Smith. It is Wednesday, Ricky has just about shaken off his cold and he is defending his title against the accomplished Londoner the following Saturday night in Manchester. 'Very nice kid,' says the champion. 'Clever boxer, too.' He could hardly have predicted the bizarre ending to their bout. He is warming down from what even by boxing's standards is a punishing workout. Every muscle is methodically brought into play in a succession of exercises and then it's back to work on the outsized stomach pad, where he practises the body shots that have become his trademark. It is a style that has packed arenas in the North for years, and Sky and the US boxing channel Showtime are more than pleased with his drawing power. He is as big a ticket-seller as Naseem Hamed, who has gone into a mysterious limbo. 'Do you think he'll fight again?' he asks, before answering his own question.

'If he doesn't need to, he won't.' I wonder if Hatton ever had ambitions of moving to the States, where the big money resides. 'Oh no, never. Never leave Manchester.' He's boxed in Detroit and almost lost there on cuts before knocking out his opponent. It made him an instant hit with American fight fans. 'It would be nice to make a statement in the States. I've been over there a few times, boxed there early on, and people in the streets are stopping me and asking me for my autograph. And I think it's down to my style. People see me on Showtime in the States and they absolutely love it. I can't wait to go back.' Meanwhile, he has yet to even leave the family home. 'I've been looking at some nice houses nearby,' he says. 'I'd like to stay near my family and friends. I'm very close to them, and I like the area. There's a few lovely properties dotted about in certain places that I've got me eyes on. 'It'll be a bit of a wrench leaving home, but it's about time now. I'm not saying I want to move out because I don't enjoy it here.

Because, as you can see, it's a life of Riley. I'm 24, I think it's time, bearing in mind, also, how well I'm starting to do financially. I'd like to stay in the area, obviously for my parents, my friends, my family, my son [he is separated from his partner], the gym's not far away. It's a beautiful area. If you said to me a few years ago at the start of my career that I'd be looking at houses like that I'd have probably said, go away don't be silly.' Go away and don't be silly. Not 'fuck off'. Spend a couple of days in their company and you come to realise that the Hattons are that sort of family. Matthew is similarly well mannered, with time for everyone. Ricky knows it could have been hard for his brother coming into boxing after him. 'Matthew had no amateur experience to speak of when he turned pro, in contrast to me. I had about 80 amateur fights and won all the national titles. Matthew was the opposite, he stopped and started, packed it in entirely, then started up again.

I think a lot of people thought that when Matthew turned pro, he was going to get all his publicity off my back. But he's 13-0 and he's looking really good. He's doing it off his own bat, which I'm really happy with. Because at times he must be sick of it, being classed as Ricky's brother. But he's not that way inclined; he's proud of what I've done and he's doing his own thing, and you've got to say fair play to him.' As is always the case when they box on the same promotion, Ray doesn't like either watching the other's fight. He figures it will distract them. 'Ideally I'd like it if we boxed on different cards,' says Ricky. 'But that's not fair to Matthew because he deserves to fight on the biggest shows - which might sound like me blowing me own trumpet. But in this country, with Showtime coming in too, there's few shows bigger than mine at the minute. Obviously I want my brother on them shows. We always insist that if I'm on at 10 o'clock, or at nine, that he's on at seven, before I get there.

A couple of times, when he has been on the same show, I've had one eye on Matthew's fight when really I shouldn't have anything else but my own fight on my mind. But I'm sure that's the same for any brothers, or mates who box.' Ricky wants Matthew to do well as much as he wants success for himself. 'He could have another 13 fights before he gets a title shot, as long as he's kept busy, keeps learning, because he's got a bit of catching up to do as far as experience goes. There's a lot of welterweight prospects coming through at the moment, like Matthew Macklin and David Barnes, people who Matthew deserves to be classed in that same bracket with. But Macklin and Barnes were top-class amateurs, through the ABAs and schoolboy championships, 80 or so fights to their names, while if Matthew was an amateur now, with 23 fights say, he'd still be a novice.' As for himself, Ricky knows that his knockout power, his skill and his ability to pack out any arena in the country have given him an opportunity to grab for greatness.

There's not much of that on offer in boxing at the moment, devalued as it is by the number of governing bodies and the fact that most of it is not on terrestrial television. Had Hatton boxed before satellite TV, he would be known in every house in the land. He is that good. He knows his title is one of the lesser ones, but, he argues, 'They say the WBU belt is a Mickey Mouse belt, but it's only a Mickey Mouse belt if Mickey Mouse owns it. And I'm not Mickey Mouse. The belt is only what you make it. I'm ranked in the top three by all the major governing bodies in defending my title. It doesn't even matter sometimes what title you call it. I mean, in my division you've got Mickey Ward and Arturo Gatti fighting each other, and there's no belt on the line for that but everybody knows they're two of the best light-welterweights in the world.' Either of those two North Americans would make an ideal opponent for Hatton's next journey to the US.

Ward is known here for his classy win over the Liverpudlian Shay Neary, while Gatti has a reputation as a fierce, non-stop puncher, something he demonstrated in a memorable war with Ward earlier this year. Domestically, the opponent Hatton wants most is the talkative Junior Witter, a flash-dancing product of the Brendan Ingle gym in Sheffield. Ray Hatton confides: 'You want to know something? Now Richard never has a bad word to say about anyone. He's just not that type. Well, Witter has been going on so much about him, getting very personal, that Richard told me the other day, "Dad if there's anyone I'd fight for nothing it's Witter. I'd do it in the car park for free and I'd love every minute of it".' I ask Ray if he ever fought. 'Only at chucking out time,' he says. When I ask Ricky about his dislike for Witter, he cuts off for a moment, then nods. He probably wouldn't go so far as to say he hates him, but it's close. They are scheduled to meet in 2003, in February or June.

It should be one of the major fights of the year, a clash of styles and personalities between two excellent boxers. First, there's the small matter of Stephen Smith. The fighter's ritual in the day leading up to his bout rarely varies. It's Friday at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester and the American R&B stars Ja Rule and Ashanti are guests, chased by the usual flock of fans. They are standing near Ricky's car when he and Matthew come out after weighing in and a young starry-eyed Manc asks Ricky: 'Who are you then? Are you famous?' He smiles and gives them an autograph. 'You know, the thing about Richard,' says Jim, 'is he is totally in awe of famous people. He finds it difficult to realise that he's famous too.' It's 3pm. The Hattons have both hit the scales on target. After weeks of strict diet-watching, it's time to 'carb up'. An hour later, Ricky has a bowl of pasta. At 6pm he has sweet and sour chicken. At 10pm he has a pizza. The following morning, the process continues.

For the past four years, he and Matthew have gone to the same greasy spoon, the Butty Box, on the morning of a fight with a load of mates, but Ricky is by himself this time. He has the 'Full Breakfast' and reads the Mirror. There's an article in there by Barry McGuigan, headlined: 'Hatton: your time has come'. Vicky Walker makes his breakfast and says: 'I'll get my house egged if he loses!' Louise Holmes, who has worked there for two years, served Ricky the morning of his fight with Eamonn Magee. The Irishman knocked him down and then hung on to lose over 12 rounds. It wasn't one of Ricky's best performances. Vicky went to the fight, her first boxing match, and was concerned when it went the distance that it was her fault, that the breakfast she served him was too big. Ricky's not worried about that. 'I just eat as much as I can now,' he says. And what will you be doing for the rest of the day?

'Just hanging about and shitting myself.' He goes to his dad's carpet shop and, in the afternoon, they sit around at the house watching videos of Stephen Smith's fights. He is patently nervous. All fighters get this way in the few hours before they fight, even the good ones. Nobody has given Smith a chance. He's smaller, having moved up a weight, has been stopped once and is a light puncher. But Ricky Hatton is not so sure. He knows Smith learnt well in Germany when he and his father and trainer, Darkie, went there for several years. He came back a polished stylist. In the changing room, Michael Gomez from the Billy Graham stable is more pumped up than anyone. He is a fiery character whose career looked to be going down the toilet until he joined Billy and the boys. 'Might as well be fighting bareknuckle,' he says as he slips on gloves he considers lighter than normal. Gomez, who knows a little bit about fighting without gloves, keeps punching the wall and screaming at the top of his voice. He also can't stop going to the toilet. Gomez and Stephen Foster Jnr are listening to gangsta rap.

Middleweight Anthony Farnell comes into the dressing room and puts on 'We Will Rock You' by Queen. Ricky's choice of music is 'Pride (In the Name of Love)' by U2, followed, appropriately, by 'The Boys Are Back in Town'. Graham, who collects snakes for a hobby, looks over his charges. He's happy. 'Ricky's just about at his peak, now and over the next couple of years. Now is his time.' The show starts. Foster wins. Gomez wins. Farnell wins. Matthew is a 'floater', which means he doesn't know when he will be slotted into the programme. He's been at the stadium since 4.30pm. He wouldn't get into the ring with David Kirk until 11.30pm, after Ricky's main event. It was one of the rare occasions on which Ricky could watch his brother box. First there was his own fight against Smith. It says much about Hatton's crowd-pulling strength that the Arena is full again, pumped-up Mancs flocking in to see their man make short work of the Londoner.

Hatton is in control from the start and puts Smith down in the first. In the second, the fight is going to plan, as the champion murders Smith around the ribs. Then, as Hatton shapes to throw a hook, a move he has practised a million times, his elbow catches Smith's eyebrow and the blood flows. Smith, who was taking a fearful beating anyway, reels away and the referee Mickey Vann steps in, takes a look at the cut and all the other damage and looks as if he's going to call it off. In an instant Darkie is in the ring, shouting at Vann, with whom he has history. He pushes the referee across the ring and, for a moment, there is the possibility of a riot, so heated has the situation become. Vann disqualifies Smith. Smith knows he has just been on the wrong end of a hiding and must privately be thankful for the early stoppage, but his father rants on. It is another of those bad nights for boxing. Ricky is pleased to have the fight out of the way, but it is far from a great occasion. Especially as Matthew goes on to suffer his first loss, on a controversial points decision.

Ricky is gutted for him, as are the rest of the Hatton entourage, ringside for all the fights. Ray is not the most demonstrative of men and refuses to join in the post-fight hoopla as everyone vaguely connected with the promotion climbs into the ring to share the spotlight with the fighter. 'I hate all that. Why do those people have to get in the ring too? I didn't see too many of them throwing the punches.' The short drive back to Hyde is quieter than usual. The boys collapse into the sofas for a moment, then wander to bed. At least the next day, they'll be able to have a couple of beers and get away from the grind of their demanding profession. The New Inn in Hattersley is run now by Tommy Murtagh. Once it was Ray's pub and Ricky trained downstairs in the basement. Today, the Hattons and their mates are having a few quiet pints. Matthew has been happier, but he'll be back. 'Can't see Oscar De La Hoya celebrating a world title win over a few pints at a pub on a council estate, can you?' says Ricky. This is definitely his manor, a place of no pretensions.

Ricky plays in the pub darts team with Ray most Thursday nights. Last season they won the Hyde And District Thursday League and the Barrie Hett Champion of Champions tournament, which covers Greater Manchester. Ricky said in a local paper: 'Playing darts is a time when I can chill out. Winning these two major tournaments was a great buzz.' In the next couple of weeks he will go and look at some more houses. One day, he might even move out of Queen's Drive. 'You know something?' says Ray. 'Everyone says that Richard and Matthew are nice kids. Well I say, "So what? Why shouldn't they be?" Seriously, it costs nothing to be nice. To me, they're just my boys.' Matthew Hatton Boxer - Boxing News Boxing Press 6/9/2010 Press Releases Manchester’s Matthew Hatton looks to consolidate his position in the world welterweight rankings when defending his European title against Yuriy Nuzhnenko at the Bolton Arena on the 16th of July. ‘Magic’ won the vacant belt by defeating Italy’s experienced warhorse Gianluca Branco in Dagenham back in March. It was Hatton’s …

Question: What was the first name of the younger brother of Ricky Hatton, also a professional boxer?
Answer: MATTHEW